Hinge construction for jewelry



Patented July 6, 1926i.

eras

MORRIS L. GIRDANY, OF NEW YORK, N'. Y.

HINGE CONSTRUCTION FOR JEWELRY.

Appiicatiori'fiied May 22, i925. serial No. 32,113.

This invention relates to jewelry such as bracelets and the process of manufacturing the same and particularly two hinged elements adapted for bracelets and their` construction.

Morev specically the invention relates to bracelet hinges formed from channel members which may be either straight or curved and into which hinge members are inserted and permanently secured, and the channel member is afterwards severed at the hinge joints. Thus the bracelet may be formed so as to present uniform structure giving it an attractive appearance and the hinge elements in accordance with this invention between the sections provide a construction which is extremely strong and durable.

The hinge members in accordance with the present invention comprise unitary longitudinal elements having cooperating de- Y pressions which receive a plurality7 of collars therein, every other one being secured to one member and the sections between to the other. These collar members are fastened in place by placing a series of them in the depression of one of the members and soldering or f otherwise securingevery other member and then permitting the loose members to Vfall out vafter the members are formed; in this manner the cooperating parts are placed with the knuckle sections formed thereby in cooperating relation and the hinge pintle is inserted to hold the parts assembled. Such pintle sockets may be applied in other ways, the important part of the structure being a unitary member consisting of a pintle socket holder and a base member which acts and a bearing to limit t'he movement of the hinge.

A further feature of the invention relates to the formation of the longitudinal hinge members which may be accomplished by means of rollers, which depress portions in the strips of the hard metal, from which the hinges are formed. These die rollers are of substantially the same diameter, one being under cut and formed with an annular depression having acircular contour and the other projecting into the first vand having an annular projection for vforming a circular depression in one side of the strip for the vmember in place 1n a bracelet channel memv'hinge member.

A further embodiment of the die member for forming the hinged element comprises a clamp structure having die members of the A required contour, through which the hinge member is drawn. The drawing of the hinge member is preferably carried out in a series of operations; ktheclamp and dies being in a position to first form an initial depression in thebar and then the clamp Vclosed so as to gradually bring the strip to therequired size and shape by closing the clamp slightly between each drawing operation. By this method of forming the hinge member, the bar will come throughy perfectly straight which is preferable over the construction formed by the rolling process since by the rolling process the bar has a tendency to curve.

The invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein tlie preferred embodiments are disclosed in the various views. In the drawings like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the various figures; in which t- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a section of channel bar to which the present invention is applicable;

Figure` 2 is a cross-section thereof;

Figure 3 isan enlarged side View of the channel bar having an opening formed therein extending crosswise therethrough for receiving a hinge member;

Figure et is an end view of the hinge member;

Figure 5 is a view of the channel bar, the hinge member in lace; l

Figures 6 and are outside and inside views respectively of the side members of the hinge;

Figure 8 shows perspective views of the sidemembers of the hinge;

Figures 9 to 12 show the process of forming the hinge;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a completehinge with the parts in separated rel Figure 17 is a side elevation of the hinge ber.

Referring to the drawings Figures 1 and '2 represent a channel bar 20, which may be constructed of any desired Ine-tal.v The bar may have any desired contour or configuration, and may be either straight, as shown, or have a curved contour.

In carrying out the invention the bar is provided with a series of cuts extending crosswise as shown at 21 in Figure 3. These cuts are arranged to fit closely around the sides 22 and Q3 of the hinge member shown in Figure 4. The hinges are positioned in the channel member as represented in Figure 5 and securely fastened in place by welding, soldering or by other means. However the process is preferably carried out by hard soldering since the parts are preferably of silver, gold or platinum and in this manner a. substantially integral con` struction is formed between the parts and the members and will thereby be connected in a strong and durable manner. After the hinge members are thus secured in place, the upper portion of the channel bar is severed i entirely across, as indicated at Q4, and the bracelet is complete.

As indicated in Figures 6, 7 and S, the hinge side members comprise longitudinal bars, each provided along one of their sides with longitudinal circular depressions 25. In constructing the hinges, as indicated in Figures 9 to 12 in the preferred formation, a series of five collar members is placed in each of members 22 and 23 as shown in Figures 9 and 11. In Figure 9 a series of collar members E26 is supported in the member 22; the outer collar members and middle member are secured in place. This may be done by placing a small piece of hard solder, as shown at 27, adjacent to each of the three members and heating the hinge to such a temperature that the solder will flow between the surfaces of the collars and the member 22 and thus integrally unite these three collar members with the member Q2 after which the intermediate loose collar members which function as spacing elements will fall out and the hinge construction with the collars providing knuckle sections will be complete as shown in Figure 10.'

The other hinge member 23 is similarly formed with the series of collars 26 supported in the depression 25 and two collar members 28 are secured by bits of solder 29 as shown in Figure 11. After these collars are integrally united with the member Q3 the loose collars which provide spacing elements will readily fall out and leave the hinge member complete as disclosed in Figure 12.

The two hinge members Q2 and 23 are further shown in Figure 13, also a pivotal hinge pintle 30, said members being in spaced relation showing the manner in which tiey eo-operate. Then the pivot 30 is inserted through the knuckle sections of both hinge members, the parts are secured together as illustrated in Figures 4: and 5.

Referring to Figure 14 the clamp structure 31 is provided with male and female dies 32 and 33 respectively for forming the hinge side members 2 and 23. The clamp 31 comprises a yoke having a vertical screw Si to the lower end of which is secured the male die 32 and by means of a handle 35 the die member may be raised and lowered and the screw will hold the die 32 in the required position. The male die 32 has a projecting portion 3G, the lower portion of which has the exact contour to form the inner surface of the hinge members 22 and 23. The female die 33 is provided with a depression 3T having the contour of the outer surface of the members 22 and In the operation of this die, the die is first closed sufficiently so as to imlent the strip which is drawn through it slightly. rhe strip is drawn and redrawu successively for a number of times and between each drawing operation the handle 35 is manipulated to turn the screw 3st so as to close the die 32 upon die 32) and thereby gradually bring the stock to the required shape to form the finished product.

Referring to Figure 15 a roller die for forming side members of the hinge is disclosed. This comprises a base 3S having upright bearing members 39 and L10 in which are journalled rollers 41 and Al2. These rollers at their ends are provided with gears 43 and 14; whereby they will be turned together and the roller 41 is provided with a driving axle 45 which is adapted to receive a crank for turning the rollers. ln this roller die construction the roller 4Q is provided with an annular male die member 4G having a contour for forming the inner surface of the die members of the hinges and the roller Ll1 is provided with a similar female die 4:7 for forming the outer surface of the hinge members. In this roller die construction the rollers may be so spaced that the stock material is turned down in one operation.

In using either form of the dies, after the drawing or pressing, or hammering, or other operation is carried out the hinge stock produced is afterwards cut up into lengths to approximately the width of the channel member and after the hinges are secured in place they may be finished down so that their ends will coincide with the outer side portions of the channel ba r.

Referring to Figures 16 and 17 a modied hinge construction is disclosed in which the hinge side members Q2 and 23 are formed from rectangular stock provided with complemental semi-circular depressions #f8 and 9 for receiving the collars forming hinge knuckles in a similar manner as previously set forth. In this formation it will be noted that the outer contour of the hinge as a whole is substantially rectangular and instead of providing a key hole slotin the channel members the slot must be rectangulill) lll) lar for receiving such a hinge as disclosed in Figure 17.

In both formsrof hinges it is to be noted that the pivotal movement of the, side parts may be very slight and in the event that the channel bar 2O is curved stock this movement of this angle of movement may be further reduced. The hinge members in either event merely give a iiexible movement to the parts of the bracelet in order that it may yield as required in positioning, the bracelet on the arm or removing` the same.

It will be noted that in the structure shown in Figure 4, also in Figure 16, the side hinge members 22 and 23, and 22 and 23 respectively, comprise a pintle socket holding member 50 and a base portion 5l integral therewith, these two parts are of one piece.

The base portions 50 of the respective side hinge members is inclined so that when two base members are in opposite positions, that is 'of the side hinge members 22 and 23 in their assembled positions (see Figure 4), a tapering space 52 is formed. This limits the movement to the base members of the unitary hinge members in respect to each other, whereby a limited movement is obtained of one base member in respectto the other. rI`his limited movement of the parts permits the bracelet to assume a curved shape and also allows the connected parts to be opened to a straight position With the members in a common plane.

Having disclosed preferred embodiments of the invention it is not desired to be limited to the exact construction as it is to be /understood that the construction is sus ceptible of considerable modification in form, proportion and relative arrangement of the several parts and therefore the privilege is reserved of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

IVhat is claimed as the invention and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is In a hinged bracelet, having a plurality of channel members having its sides out out to form opposed cut-outs; a hinge in two opposed cut-outs, each hinge consisting of two hinge members, each hinge member at one end thereof having an enclosing portion extending the depth of the cut outs of the channel member and having an interior semicircular depression therein and having at the other end an interior extending portion diverging from the exposed extending portion, integral with the semi-circular part, a plurality of collar members alternately secured to opposed enclosing portions Within the semi-circular depressions thereof', and completely enclosed thereby, when the semicircular depressions face each other in assembled position, a pintle passing through 'the collar members, and means securing the exterior portions of the hinge members to the adjacent channel members, the exterior of the hinge members huggingly engaging the walls of the cut-outs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, and have signed my name hereto.

MORRIS L. GIRDAN Y. 

